October 12, 2012

In an effort to foster networking and mentoring amongst ANSI members and the next generation of standards and conformity assessment professionals,
ANSI hosted a breakfast and workshop in Washington, DC on October 12, 2012, as part of the World Standards Week series
of events.

Generously sponsored by ASTM
International,
IEEE, and INCITS, Educating the Next Generation of Standards
Professionals: Interactive simulation on standards development and negotiation
for students, new professionals, and new faculty, began with a free networking breakfast from 8:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. where veteran standards and conformance
professionals met and mingled with students and young professionals entering the field.

The invitation-only workshop began at 9:45 a.m. and focused on a standards simulation exercise provided by the
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) entitled Setting
Standards: Exercise in Strategy and Cooperation in Standardization Process
that explored the analytical and practical skills needed to successfully engage in standards negotiations.
The simulation enabled participants to acquire a feeling for the political-economic stakes in standardization,
gain insight in standards-related interests and strategies, experience the
importance of standards procedures, and understand the role of individuals in standards processes.

Under the guidance of a moderator, participants negotiated a standard for a fictional next generation technology and simulated a real standardization process
by role-playing and completing strategic tasks. Afterwards, a three-phased evaluation was used to reflect on participants’ experiences, focusing on lessons
for real-life standardization. This one-day workshop was an excellent skill-builder for both
newcomers and those already participating on standards development committees at the national or international level.

Participants

The networking breakfast is free and open to all World Standard Week 2012
participants, including ANSI members and stakeholders from government,
industry, business, consumer groups, and academia.